Running gear



w. R. KALr-:s

RUNNING GEAR Dec. 6, 1938.

-2 Sheets-Sheet l Original Ffiled April l2, .1957

FIGA.

INVENTOR wlLLlAM iK/ALESl W. R. vKALEs RUNNING' GEAR Dec. 6, 1938.

oiginal Filed April 12, ls? 2 sheets-snee; 2

y INVENTo-R WILLIAMRKALES www@ ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED s'rArlzs PATE-Nr 'orme-lz RUNNING om William R. Kales, Detroit, Mich., aalignor to Whitehead a Kale: Company, River Bouge, Mich., a corporation of Michigan riginal application April 12. 193.7, Serial No.

138,472. Divided and thisapplication November l5, 1937, Serial No. 174,711

lclaims. (CL 280-12'4) This `invention relates generally to running gears and constitutes a division oi an application for Running gear iiled April 12, 1937, bearing.

arate brake anchorages designed to produce substantially equal reactions on the wheels.

Another object is to provide an assembly wherein leaf springs not only function as spring suspensions but also serve to distribute the load between the wheels.

Another object is to provide an assembly that is comparatively simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description Iproceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a running gear embodying my invention;

Figure,- 2 is a side elevation oi' a portion of a vehicle to which my improved tandem wheel structure is applied;

Figure 3 is al plan view thereof;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross section on line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section online l-l of Figure 2;

i Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section on line 6 6 of Figure 5.

My improved running gear is particularly' adapted for use on vehicles designed to carry 46" heavy loads, such for instance as automobile transports. These are usually trailers inwhich the greater part of the load is carried upon the tandem wheels arranged upon opposite sides and near the rear end. The trailer is usually drawn by a truck which controls its movement as well as sustaining a portion of the load.

My improvement consists essentially in providing separate brake anchorages for the .tandem wheels and so designing these anchorages 5o as to produce equal reactions on the wheels and in the same direction. As speciilcally shown, this is accomplished by mounting each wheel on a rock arm and having the rock arms extend in the same direction from their respective wheels to the point of attachment on the vehicle frame.

, i, il and II.

The brakes for the tandem wheels are anchored to these rock arms, and the braking torque reaction will, therefore, be the same on each of the wheels. In order to equally distribute the loadv to the tandem wheels, there is also a walking 5 beam 'connection between the same.

In detail, I is a sill of theA vehicle frame, and 2, I and l, respectively, are dead axles extending across the vehicle beneath the sills and connected to the latter through bearings 5. 8, 'I-and 8, rel0 spectively, are rock arms pivotally mounted on the axles 2, 3 and l, respectively, and extendng rearwardly therefrom. 9, I0 and Il, respectively, are stub axles projecting laterally outward from thevrock arms at their free ends, and i2, la and 1s Il, respectively, are ground-engaging wheels arranged in tandem and mounted on these stub axles.

The rock. 'arms 'I and 8 are provided with spring arms Il and I6 extending oppositely therefrom 20 and into load sustaining engagement with the rock arm for the adjacent wheel, as indicated at Il and Il. It will be noted` that the central wheel I3 sustains the load transmitted thereto through both the rock arm 'I and the spring arm I6, 25.

whereas the end wheels I2 and Il sustain only the load transmitted respectively through the spring arm Il and the rock arm' 8. Therefore. to obtain equal distribution of loadvon each of .the wheels, the rock arm 'I andspring arm I6 areeach 30 twicea the length of the spring arm I5 and rock .Preferably the leaves oi' the spring arms I5 and Il are rigidly secured to the rock arms 1 and 8,. respectively, by U-clips I9 and bolts 20 and are 35 -slidably supported on arcuate bearings 2| carried by the rock arms 8 and 1. To provide the proper clearance with the sills I, lthe rock arms 'I and 8 have portions 8*, l* and 8*, respectively,

extending substantially horizontally from the -io dead axles 2, 3 and I, respectively, and also have outwardly oiiset, upwardly extending portions 8b, 1h and 8b, respectively, to which the stub axles 9, III and Il, respectively, are secured. In use, the

l portions 8*, 'I and 8* oi the rock arms extend be- 45 neatlr the outwardly extending ilange 22 of the sills, but there is suilicicnt clearance therebetween for the maximum oscillation oi the rock arms. The portions 6b, 1P and 8", respectively, of the rock arms clear this ilange 22 and therefore 50 can swing upward above the same. Thus, the dead axles 2, 3 and I can be arranged considerably below the normal height of the stub axles As a result, the flooring of the vehicle 'may be flat throughout its length and 55 low 'tothe ground so that it may be loaded and unloaded easily. Moreover, as the wheels I2, I3 and Il, together with their stub axles l, I0 and I I and the upwardly extending portions I, lb and lb, respectively, of the rock arms are outside the sills of the vehicle, the interior of the vehicle will be unobstructed and capable of carrying the maximum load.

Brake drums .23 are mounted upon the wheels I 2, I3 and Il, and the brake heads 2B are secured by bolts 29 to the portions 8b, 1b and l of the rock arms. Preferably these heads 26 form the anchorage for the brake friction means (not shown) and thus will transmit the torque reaction therefrom into the rock arms 8, 'I andv 8.

As the rock arms 6,1 and 8 extend in the same direction from their pivotal connection `withtbre dead axles, the reactions will be the same in the tandem wheels. In this connection it should be noted that the wheels I2, I3 andl Il always remain in the same vertical plane with respectv to the adjacent side of the vehicle. Thus, while the wheels are free to independently rise-V and fall, they always remain parallel'to the adjacent side of the vehicle. Consequently, clearance between the said wheels and vehicle may be cut down to the minimum. 'It should also be noted that each vrock arm forms'a radius rod for its respective wheel and for defining th path of movement thereof.

What I claim as myinvention is:

1. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting the frame including a pair of end wheels and one or morev intermediate wheels, independently movable rock arms pivotally connected to said frame and having stub axles for said wheels, one end wheel and the intermediate wheel being provided with spring arms having-load sustaining connections with the rock arms for the adjacent wheels, and` brake mechanism for said wheels including brake heads xed to said rock arms.

2. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting the frame including a pair of end wheels and one or more intermediate wheels, independently movable rock arms extending in the same direction from said frame and respectively connected to said wheels, the rock arms for one end wheel and the intermediate wheel being provided with spring arms extending oppositely" therefrom and having load sustaining connections with the rock arms for the adjacent wheels, and brake mechanism for said wheels carried in part by said rock arms.

3. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting the frame including a pair of end wheels and one or more intermediate wheels, independently movable rock arms pivotally connected to said frame and having stub axles for said wheels, one end wheel and the intermediate wheel being provided with spring arms having load sustaining connections with the rock arms for the adjacent wheels, the rock arm for the intermediate wheel and the spring arm in load sustaining engagement therewith being each substantially twice the length respectively of the other spring arm and of the rock arms for the end wheels, and brake mechanism for said wheels carried in part by said rock arms.

'4. In a vehicle running gear, the combination.

with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting the frame including a pair of end wheels and 9,139.5. f one or more intermediate wheels, l

lrock arms for the adjacent wheels, therock arm l for thev intermediate wheel and the spring arm in load sustaining engagement therewith being each substantially twice the length respectively of the other spring arm and of the rock arms for the end wheels, and brake mechanism for said wneeu including brake nads nxea to ma rock arms.

5. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame,-of tandem wheels for supporting the sameincluding a pair of end wheels and one or more intermediate wheels, independently movable rock arms on said frame extending therefrom in the same direction and respectively connected to said wheels, and a spring arm connected to the rock arm of each intermediate wheel and also that of one of the end wheels extending oppositely therefrom and having a loadl sustaining connection with the rock arm for the adjacent wheel, the length of said rock arms and spring arms Lbeing proportioned to distribute the load to each of the wheels, and brake mechanism for said wheels including brake heads ilxed to said rock arms.

6. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting the same including a pair of end wheels-and an intermediate wheel, independently movable rock arms on said frame extending-therefrom in the same direction respectively connected to said wheels, and spring arms connected to the rock arm for the intermediate wheel and the rock arm for one of the end wheels extending oppositely therefrom and having load sustaining connections with the rock arms for the adjacent wheels, the cooperating rock arm and spring-arm for the intermediate wheel being of greater length than the length of thev rock arm and of the spring arm which respectively carry the load into the end wheels, thereby securing propor-` tional distribution of load on all of the wheels, and brake mechanism for said wheels including brake heads fixed to said rock arms.

7. In a vehicle running gear, the combination' rock arms, and oppositely extending spring arms ilxed at one end to the rock arms for the intermediate and one end wheel 'adjacent their point of attachment to the frame and having load sustaining connections with the adjacent rock arms adjacent the stub axles carried thereby, the spring arm fixed to the rock arm for the end wheel aforesaid being substantially twice as long as the spring arm fixed to the intermediate long v8. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting 7g said frame including a pair of end wheels and an intermediate wheel, independently movable rock arms for said wheels pivotally connected at one end to said frame and provided at their free ends with stub axles for said wheels, said rock arms extending in the same direction from their respective wheels to the points of attachment to the frame, separate brakes for said wheels having heads fixed to the respective rock arms, and oppositely extending spring arms xed at one end to two of said rock arms adjacent their point of attachment to the frame and having load sustaining connections with the adjacent rock arms adjacent the stub axles carried thereby.

9. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting said frame including a pair of end wheels and an intermediate wheel, substantially parallel dead axles extending across said frame, independently movable rock arms pivoted at their forward ends upon said axles and provided at their rear ends With stub axles for said wheels, brake drums carried by each Wheel, brake heads ixed to the respective rock arms and adapted to carry means for frictionally engaging said brake drums, and

spring arms fixed at one end to the rear and intermediate rock arms adjacent their pivotal connection with their respective dead axles and having load sustaining connections with the intermediate and forward rock arms respectively.

10. In a vehicle running gear, the combination with a frame, of tandem wheels for supporting said frame including a pair of end wheels and an intermediate Wheel, axles extending transversely beneath said frame, rock arms pivotally mounted on said axles and extending therefrom in the same direction, the free end portions of said rock arms extending upwardly, stub axles mounted in said upwardly extending portions and forming journals for said Wheels, separate brakes for said Wheels having brake heads fixed to the respective rock arms, and oppositely extending spring arms xed at one end to the rear and intermediate rock arms adjacent their pivotal connections with their respective dead axles and provided at their free ends with load sustaining connections with the intermediate and forward rock arms respectively adjacent the stub axles carried thereby.

WILLIAM R. KALES. 

